It’s Move It Monday, are you ready to jumpstart your week on a high note. We know intuitively that exercise is important and good for the body. For some of us there may be barriers to where and what time you work out. If you want to go for a morning run your safety may be a concern if you live in a remote area or live in a city. Maybe the nearest gym is 30 minutes away. Or it’s crunch time and getting to the gym isn’t practical. For some the peer pressure “of all eyes one me syndrome” makes you unsure of yourself if you are a gym novice. You are a mom with a new born that needs to stay home. Or you are a caretaker for loved one who is home bound. Lastly, the cost of a gym membership is prohibitive.
For what ever the reason as to why you can’t get to the gym, working out at home is the perfect solution.
Benefits of working out at home:
- You save. It’s free, no membership is required.
- You save on time. If time in the morning or evening is a factor you can save on drive time.
- You can do it at anytime.
- It affords you more flexibility if you have loved ones at home to care for.
- It’s private.
A home workout can be just as effective as working out at the gym. The biggest difference is that you won’t have all the free standing strength training equipment thus for most of your home workouts you will use your own body weight as resistance. Also, you can invest in home gym equipment. The equipment can vary from big or small. The basic equipment need not break your budget. You can start with the basic equipment such as a yoga mat, flex ball, resistance bands, free weights, kettle balls and a jump rope. If you have the space and the funds than you can create a home gym that is comparable to what you would find in the larger box gyms.
We live in an era where technelogy connects us in ways never imaginable. As the saying goes, “there’s an app for that” So you guessed it there are health and fitness apps for both android and iPhones. The great news is that many apps are free. One of my personal favorites is the Nike Training Club app. It’s like having your own virtual personal trainer without the added cost. Also, if you subscribe to a cable or satellite service you can take advantage of the On Demand fitness/exercise channels. Lastly, there are numerous fitness on dvds.
Bottomline, don’t give in to the multiple excuses as to why you can’t make it to the gym be it valid or otherwise. Working out at home is a great alternative. There are multiple media and technological advances that will afford you the opportunity to make a home workout safe and effective.
by Marjorie Binette, MD